grandpabear

I just went out and fired 5 test rounds I loaded up for my SR40. Not knowing what to expect the first 3 were off a tad but the last 2 were in the 1 1/2" orange dot. at 30 feet. I gotta thank everyone on here(THANK YOU!) who has given me advice on reloading when I was starting. It is very gratifying to go out and shoot the ammo that you made yourself. To anyone who is thinking about getting into reloading, stop thinking and do it. Just pay attention and be safe.

Geyser1911

I started six months ago and so far have dialed in my .45ACP load. Working on a .38 Sp reload now. I admit that test firing a new load gets my blood pumping hoping that I didn't screw something up.
Like you I really enjoy the time I spend at the reloading bench and also find it immensely gratifying.
Onward and upward Grandpabear.

DQL5150

Congratulations grandpabear, on your rendeavor from a fellow handloader. Enjoy and be safe

Nick0410

Thats basically it, take your time, go through all the steps, and it turns into another hobby

Its pretty easy to make ammo better than the cheaper end factory stuff, lets face it, were not all shooting premium stuff at the range so its a good way to make quality/more spefic loads for our guns that we all love so much. Its like cooking them dinner rather then feeding them fast food

Oliverfan

I've been reloading for about a year and a half, it really is a good feeling shooting ammo you assembled. I also find it relaxing as it causes me to focus on the task at hand and gets thinks off my mind, even if it's for a short time. Keep up the good work and be safe!

38-55

I was introduced to it in 1956, been at it more or less continuously since. I find that casting bullets, with the associated sizing, loobing, seating gas checks where needed, loading, shooting is a very satisfying cycle. I cast for everything I shoot, including rifle, Casting is the beginning, for me, if I didn't cast it, it isn't loaded. It has become the cycle of life; I do some aspect of it everyday.

gasbag

I am not trying to hijack this thread but it seems to be a good place to insert what has turned out to be a problem for me.

I have been pondering about getting in to reloading for at least 3 months now.
I've researched and read and snooped and researched again and I still haven't been able to pull the trigger. (bad pun, sorry)

First, letting an old fart like me play with explosives may not be the brightest thing to do.
Second, unless you have a supply of free brass it doesn't seem that much cheaper than buying commercial ammo.
With free brass it is about 1/2 the cost in my estimation. This of course varies with the caliber being reloaded.

I have a complete setup by Dillon all listed out ready to call them and order but I still have doubts.
Maybe I am just a big wus...woose?....
Even my wife is getting antsy with me.

Is it mostly the cost benefits, the enjoyment of the reloading process or the results you get when shooting the ammo?
Also, is the cost savings enough to take into consideration when getting started or is the satisfaction of the process the biggest part?
My wife and I shoot about 500 rounds a month of .40 and .45 cal. combined and about 200 of 9mm.

Any info would be appreciated.

bhefley59

I've been reloading since the mid 70's , I was 15 when I got my texan press . Take care and double check your powder charge and besure it matches the bullet weight, I never load max loads . Keep your bullet puller handy in case your not sure of a load .

Good luck

To me it's not just the cost I like to unwind and reloading is a great way of enjoying the sport to the fullest. Just knowing I built that bullet and it went bang when I pulled the trigger and I hit the target I was aiming at . Sounds dumb but it's a cool feeling ...

rclark

Yes shooting your own reloads is gratifying. Finding the load that works in your gun is fun! Plus tailoring them to the velocity you want is great too. For example, I don't like to shoot 'hot' .44Mag loads, so I simply load them down to .44Special levels. As a reloader you have complete control of the process .

But once you have the brass, it can be reloaded again and again, driving the cost down . I've loaded some of my .45 Colt brass 20+ times now and still going. Buy your brass in bulk like 500 or 1000 from Starline. That helps too. The bullets is where the expense comes in, but just shoot lead to minimize that cost.

Both.... Thing is (I shouldn't tell you this) once you start reloading, you find your self shooting more . Then you'll start looking for the most accurate load you make and ...

Clovishound

I am starting to reload 9mm. I began saving my brass a while back. I find that I always end up coming home with more 9mm brass than I shot at the range. I do end up tossing a few .40s and the occasional .380 that ended up in the mix. I rarely have to weed out .45s.

Temmi

Reloading is Fun and can be very safe


In the last 10 years I have only bought 20 Rounds of rifle ammo (cause my boy forgot his 30-06 ammo) and 0 revolver ammo.

I will buy some 45 ACP cause that white box win is just so good and cheap.

Still

I love to load

Wish I had more time to shoot


Just remember it is like petting a Cougar it is fun but stay alert cause it can go north


Snake

Snake

gasbag

First, I apologize to the OP if I hijacked the thread. My problem just seemed to fit in here.

In my area Winchester white box .45's costs $44 for 100.
I can buy .45 brass for $26 for 100. Bullets are $22 for 100.
That means the first round of reloading costs me $4 more than I can buy it at WalMart.
After that with reusing the brass the cost goes down to around $26 for 100.
.40's, 9mm and .380 seems to be about the same.
The cost of primers and powder seems to be rather negligible.

I am not hung up on the cost as much as it would appear though. If I was I wouldn't even think about laying out the money to buy the equipment in the first place.
After investigating I was just surprised that the savings was not as much as I have been lead to believe.

Reloading seems to be more about the satisfaction of doing it "your way". To be able to tailor ammo to you and the particular gun.
That is fine with me. It would be nice to have something to keep my old brain busy and flexible.
Especially since I made the mistake 5 months ago of getting my wife involved in shooting.
She is having waaaaaayyyy too much fun.

Thanks for the info. I will now walk 3 steps to my phone and place an order with Dillon.
May the Force be with me.

grandpabear

First thing, please don't apologize for asking questions, that's quite alright. Second thing, congrats on the Dillon equipment. I'm using a Lee Breechlock kit and it's working great so I don't have as much invested to begin with. I saved a lot of brass from factory ammo so I'm set for a long time. I found bullets that work great at Everglades Ammunition and Reloading and they have free shipping. I ordered and had them 3 days later, great service. I can save a little on 9mm but the savings are a lot better with my .40 ammo. Good luck on your endeavor and have fun. If you enjoy it 1/2 as much as I do your gonna be reloading a lot. LGS has my Titegroup powder for about $17. That is about 1600+ rnds. CCI 500 primers are $4 a hundred. Small price to pay for so much fun. JMO

38-55

Some terminology errors noted: first of all, smokeless powder is not an "explosive", it is a propellant, big difference!!! If you have been buying loaded ammunition and shooting it you should have at least 90% of the fired brass in your possession, if you don't it is no ones fault but your own. Cost saving is always the first reason stated to enter the Kingdom of hand loading, it is probably the poorest reason, simply because cost savings will never be realized because the hand loader will be buying additional equipment and shooting more.
It's like the guy that puts fertilizer on his lawn, it grown faster so he has to spend more time and money to keep it looking nice and as soon as it looks nice it starts to grow and has to be tended even more. Hand loading is like that in that it rapidly becomes a labor of love or it is dropped like a hot horse shoe!!!

Lost Sheep

Pardon me for coning late to the party with my input.

Considering the quality of Dillon equipment, your are not off base, but considering the quantities you are shooting (which will likely double when you start realizing savings) you might be better served with a Turret press with Auto-Indexing. It depends on which Dillon you are contemplating and how much time you are willing to devote to loading.

The turret allows easier swapping of calibers (how much easier depends on which model you have chosen). The turret is a lot less costly. While the Dillon will load hundreds of rounds an hour, (cyclic rate) you are really interested in sustained rate. Caliber swaps, mis-step clearances and components replenishment cut into the cyclic rate to set the slower (and more significant) sustained rate.

A Lee Turret will set you back $100, Scale, Powder measure, primer feeder and manual will take another hundred. and three sets of dies another. So, for about $300 (call it $350 to take care of incidentals and underestimations). A fully outfitted Dillon 550 B with dies for 3 calibers will set you back about $850
RL 550B: Dillon Reloading Machines
to which you still add a manual and scale (another $50 to $150). Call it $1,000 to allow for incidentals.

When going from $350 invested to $1,000, you go from 120 - 180 rounds per hour capacity to 400-600 rounds per hour (I DO NOT KNOW if Dillon estimates include components replenishment).

So, let's say you wind up shooting 1,500 rounds a month. You can go Dillon and spend 3-6 hours a month (one short afternoon a month loading) or 10 hours (two long afternoons a month loading). For about 1/3 the up-front investment.

I am not advising you against the Dillon. They have a FAR superior warranty, there is NO doubt about that. If you have questions, their techs (by all reports) will stay with you until the problem is solved. If you have a problem with your press, they will send you the parts and and talk you through the fix or, if the press needs to be return, they will send it back to you like new.

But I still prefer my turret. It is simpler (though slower) to operate (which is what won me over) and more affordable (up front, though over a lifetime, the Dillon will be less expensive).

So, go in with your eyes open. That is the only reason I have for this post. Heck, I may have won myself over to a Dillon. Except for that components replenishment thing. The automatic case feeder takes up a lot of space, which I elect not to devote to reloading. One makes one's choices based on one's priorities. Mine was simplicity (I found it difficult to concentrate on multiple simultaneous operations and do not trust auto-powder detectors and such) and space (I put my gear away after every loading session rather than leaving is set up all the time and my gear fits into three medium toolboxes in a corner).

So, here's what I did in 2010. What I would have done if I knew then what I know now.

Budget Beginning Bench you will never outgrow, for the novice handloader. - Ruger Forum

Good luck.

Lost Sheep